Seven Elements That Make a Water Damage Restoration Project More Complicated and Expensive

7/30/2022 (Permalink)

Blog Summary: SERVPRO of Northeast Fort Worth explains the factors that cause a water damage restoration project to be costly to clean up and restore.

A water damage disaster in the home is no small matter and can have serious consequences if not immediately addressed. When ignored or neglected, a water intrusion can cause extensive cosmetic and structural damage. Delays in cleanup and restoration may also negatively affect coverage by the insurance company. The many sources of a water release or water intrusion in a home call for vigilance on the part of the homeowner. Some potential causes of a water damage disaster include weather-related damages, clogged gutters, plumbing and sewage issues, appliance malfunctions, and HVAC leaks.

Water and moisture can damage just about everything it touches, including furniture, flooring, the foundation, and electrical wiring. In as little as 24 to 48 hours, advanced secondary damage can occur. Baseboards swell and must be replaced. Wet carpet becomes loaded with bacteria and must be discarded rather than salvaged. Mold growth explodes into an infestation. When a water damage disaster strikes, a rapid response by a professional property damage cleanup and restoration company is crucial to mitigate the water intrusion, start the cleanup, and prevent advanced secondary damage.

Several factors can make a water damage cleanup and restoration more complex, and these complications impact the cost of cleanup and repairs. Haltom City, TX, homeowners should consider these factors when evaluating an estimate of the expenses for cleanup and restoration.

Factors That Make a Water Damage Restoration Project More Complex and Costly

1. Extent of the damage

A leak in the bathroom from a tup overflow is less complicated than a whole-house disaster from a ruptured washing machine supply line or a flash flood. A large disaster area requires more time, labor, equipment, and materials to clean up and restore. Water damage encompassing several rooms requires more dehumidifiers, rapid-spin fans, and time before other steps in the restoration can take place.

2. Quantity of water

Not all water releases are equal. A ruptured appliance supply line can release several hundred gallons of water per hour into a home, causing widespread damage. A slow leak from an upstairs shower drain over several years may involve a similar quantity of water but do greater damage. Generally, though, the more water involved, the greater the complexity of the cleanup and restoration.

3. Source and type of water

Water from a sanitary source such as a ruptured ice maker line presents fewer issues than cleanup from a tub overflow of soapy water. A sewage backup involving fecal matter is the most serious risk hazard. Whether a water damage disaster involves clean water, gray water, or black water affects the complexity and cost of a cleanup. If clean water and gray water are not immediately removed, both types of water degrade into toxic, black water.

4. Delay in water removal, extraction, and drying

Time is a homeowner’s enemy in a water damage disaster. A delay in water cleanup allows walls, flooring, baseboards, furniture, and other porous items to absorb water and moisture. Warping, swelling, blistering, pathogens, and mold infestation can increase the restoration costs exponentially.

5. Types of materials

Waterproof vinyl or linoleum flooring may not need to be replaced, but laminate flooring may need to be ripped out and replaced. Custom luxury vinyl or CLV is waterproof and can be removed and reinstalled very easily. If the water damage involves hardwood flooring, immediate drying is crucial for salvaging the flooring. Carpeting contaminated with gray water must be replaced. If black water is present, both carpeting and padding must be replaced. Tile floors that are sealed and well-grouted may need the least attention as long as the water does not penetrate to the subflooring.

6. The location of the home

A home in a hot, humid area will be more difficult to dry out. Homes located in urban areas where the cost of living is elevated will find that cleanup and restoration services will reflect the elevated cost of living.

7. Mold growth

A delay in response time, cleanup, and restoration allows water damage to expand. Advanced secondary damage can develop. Baseboards swell and must be replaced. Flooring warps. Paint blisters and peels. Wet carpeting cannot be salvaged but must be removed from the home or business. Even worse, the risk of mold and bacterial growth skyrockets.

SERVPRO of Northeast Fort Worth is available 24/7, 365 days a year, including holidays, to provide customers with a rapid response and the water damage cleanup and restoration services needed to prevent a water damage disaster from becoming more complex and costly to restore. SERVPRO sets the bar very high when it comes to responding to customers’ needs, beginning with a rapid response.

For more details about water damage restoration in Haltom City, TX, email SERVPRO of Northeast Fort Worth at office@SERVPROnortheastftworth.com or call (817) 741-5737.